Grilled crappie disaster

[M R Dux]

My wife and I wanted to try something different and maybe more healthy for cooking crappie fillets. We bought one of the 2 piece grill baskets that hold the fish tight so it can be turned. Our 1st try was with a small amount of olive oil and Italian dressing spread on the fillets. We sprayed the grill basket with PAM and cooked the fish on both sides until done but not burnt. We ended up having to literally scrape every bit of the fish off the basket and ended up with an unappetizing mush. The flavor was good but not what we had hoped.

My next try was even worse. I brushed the fillets down with butter then sprayed the basket with PAM. The fish looked awesome when I got it off the grill but turned into an even worse slop when we tried to get it off the basket. I fed it to my dogs. Needless to say I was POed and kicked myself for wasting fresh crappie fillets. After ending up eating a grilled hot dog for supper, I decided I need some help.

Can somebody who grills crappie give me some advice? I really don't want to have to start scaling and knocking the heads off so I can grill them.
I'm using a gas grill at medium heat. I'm cooking the fillets 5-7 minutes per side and the edges are browning but the fillet is still mostly white. I won't be wasting any more crappie on this technique until I have confidence that I've found a way to cook them correctly.

[Rees Guide]

Just cook em on the half shell, we don't scale em when we do that. We also use a grill pan and don't turn them even when not leaving the skin on. I don't mind the skin on if I am gonna eat them fresh but prefer not to put them up in this manner.

[deltadawg9]

We do what Rees does.. We also melt butter and add Worcestershire with a tad of lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Throw it on the grill and baste about every 2 minutes for 15 minutes. Pull it off the grill and pull it off the half shell and serve. Honestly I'd rather have it like this all day long. Best way to me.. Couple years ago I had a guy cook bass like this and I tell ya I'm no big bass rather but honestly this is the best way to eat fish.

[Greenwing]

Mr Dux do you keep largemouth bass? I was thinking I've seen a few pictures you've posted with bass. Anyways fry the crappie and grill the bass. I like 3-4lb bass fillet cut in half, then squeeze a fresh lemon over fillets, coat with olive oil, then season with whatever you like, I prefer blackening season. I use a nonstick tray with small holes sprayed with Pam place on very hot grill for a few minutes, l like it so hot the fish sizzles when it hits. Grill a couple minutes per side turning once and you're ready to eat. Everyone I have fixed this for has loved it. I have tried grilling crappie and I just don't care for the texture.

[M R Dux]

Mr Dux do you keep largemouth bass? I was thinking I've seen a few pictures you've posted with bass. Anyways fry the crappie and grill the bass. I like 3-4lb bass fillet cut in half, then squeeze a fresh lemon over fillets, coat with olive oil, then season with whatever you like, I prefer blackening season. I use a nonstick tray with small holes sprayed with Pam place on very hot grill for a few minutes, l like it so hot the fish sizzles when it hits. Grill a couple minutes per side turning once and you're ready to eat. Everyone I have fixed this for has loved it. I have tried grilling crappie and I just don't care for the texture.

I will keep an occasional bass for the table. I grew up on them, much more than crappie. I'll try your suggestion. Thanks. Just don't tell any of my bass fisherman buddies or clients.

[Greenwing]

Actually all the ones I've cleaned came from tournaments. I fish occasionally with a friend during the summer and we catch a lot of fish 20ft+ deep so after being a live well all day unless they're fizzed they will die anyway. The last time his fizz tool broke and I'm not going to let the turtles have them. Yeah give it a try. I like it on a bed of wild and long grain rice.

[LastShadow]

My fish basket works great with trout or salmon, they are kind of naturally oily, never tried it with a white meat fish. Regarding your cooking process; I always grill fish on HI. We I cook a 3/4 thick piece of fish it is done in 8 minutes.

[M R Dux]

I haven't tried any more crappie on the grill but since I first posted this, we have learned more about it (mostly from replies here) and cooked large catfish fillets and last night I tried it out on bass. We caught a couple nice keeper LMB (16"+) Sunday. I put some olive oil in a container along with a good dose of black pepper and Tony Chacerie's creole seasoning. I coated all of the fillets with the mixture, put them into the basket, and onto a hot grill. I really didn't time the cook but used my visual judgement and I think they turned out great. My wife loves fish and she said it was the best she had ever tasted. She did ask me to back off the black pepper a bit.

I plan on trying this on some fillets off LARGE crappie when the fall bite cranks back up.

[Greenwing]

Looks good. Glad the wife and you enjoyed it. Let us know how the large crappie turns out.

[Takeum]

Crappie are naturally very soft fish,,,, Just be careful using baskets,,, they may come apart,,,I like the half shell idea myself.,.Id personally burn the outside half shell and get that well cooked crappie meat,,,